Why is Airflow So Important in Smoking?

Airflow controls combustion. Without enough oxygen, wood will smoulder and produce dirty smoke. With proper airflow, the fire burns clean and the smoke tastes pure.

Understanding Airflow in Your Smoker is One of the Most Important Things You Need to Know

As a barbecue coach, probably one of the most common issues I see is that cooks who get their first charcoal smoker don’t understand the science of airflow. Many of their early challenges are related to not really knowing how their smoker works.

Airflow is underrated or misunderstood and so frustration sets in. At the most basic level, the upper and lower vents on a smoker are basically the heat control knobs.

Think of airflow as the lungs of the fire. Open vents feed oxygen, stabilize temperature, and keep smoke moving across the food instead of lingering and turning bitter. Fire burns hottest when all vents are wide open.

Reducing airflow through the vents will drop the temperature of the smoker, which is obviously very important for low and slow cooks. And finding the sweet spot to maintain a temperature relatively steady for hours, that is a learned skill.

Every smoker design handles airflow differently, but the principle is universal to all charcoal or wood-fired smokers.

Always remember: proper airflow is the difference between delicious barbecue and just burning wood.

Read more about the science of smoke in the Complete Guide to Smoke in Hardwood Barbecue.

By BBQ Chef Mike Belobradic